Press Releases

The grant will support Hispanic youth by providing resources needed to succeed academically, professionally and economically.

Dec. 11, 2018 - LANSING, Mich.—The Michigan Hispanic Collaborative (MIHC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan was awarded a Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Innovative Program Grant. This $10,000 award will be used to support Hispanic youth (ages 16-24) as they navigate from high school to college and careers. The comprehensive program, called “La Próxima Generación” (which translates to "the next generation"), aims to advance students socio-economically.

According to the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, “Hispanics today comprise 17 percent of the U.S. population and are projected to be 31 percent by 2050. Despite these powerful numbers, the Hispanic community remains undereducated, underemployed and underrepresented. Without focused and strategic intervention, the Hispanic youth, remain at risk. Nationally, only 67 percent of Hispanics finish high school and only 16 percent finish college.”

“This grant creates a targeted model that supports cohorts of Hispanic youth through engaged mentoring and networking,” said Brandy Johnson, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network. “This program aligns with MCAN’s focus on college access, readiness and completion for students of color. Regardless of ZIP code or ethnicity, all of Michigan’s students should understand they are college material.”

MIHC will work to bring together partner schools, businesses, industry, nonprofits, community leaders, and elected officials whose important efforts when harnessed can improve Hispanic economic mobility. The MIHC will identify gaps in services, partner to streamline efforts, leverage existing platforms, spot redundant processes and work to design innovative programming that maximizes Hispanic high school student and postsecondary academic and professional success.

Innovative Program Grants are designed to fund programming that increases college readiness, enrollment, and completion in local communities and across the state through grants of up to $10,000. Since these grants were introduced in 2016, MCAN has awarded more than $266,000 in 29 different Innovative Program Grants to organizations throughout the state.

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ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)

As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN’s mission is to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. For the seventh year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7 percent of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 39.4 percent in 2016. Additionally, it is estimated another 4 percent of Michiganders have a high-quality certificate, bringing Michigan’s official attainment rate to 43.7 percent as of 2018. It is MCAN’s goal to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN HISPANIC COLLABORATIVE (MIHC)

The Michigan Hispanic Collaborative (MIHC) was created in September 2018 by a group of Hispanic leaders in Southeast Michigan. This group includes leaders from the Michigan House of Representatives, KPMG, DTE Energy, General Motors, among many other entities. The goal of the group was to create a high-level plan to improve the economic strength of the Hispanic community. For more information, visit michiganhispaniccollaborative.com

MCAN Receives $50,000 Grant from FCA Foundation to Increase Enrollment of Metro-Detroit Students in College Degree and Career Certificate Programs

Dec. 6, 2018 - LANSING, MICH.—The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) has received a $50,000 grant from the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US LLC, to increase the percent of Detroiters with high quality degrees and certificates. The grant will support MCAN's AdviseMI program, which helps low-income students, first generation college-going students, and students of color navigate the complex college exploration, admissions and financial aid process.

“This substantial investment in postsecondary attainment efforts by the FCA Foundation will increase our capacity to serve students in the Metropolitan Detroit area,” said Brandy Johnson, executive director and founder of the Michigan College Access Network.

AdviseMI provides critical college access resources to nearly 4,200 students and their families across the Metropolitan Detroit area (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties). College advisers placed at 22 high-need schools by AdviseMI, assist students and their families through a step-by-step process of applying for and enrolling in postsecondary education.

“We (FCA Foundation) believe that education is a cornerstone for empowering people and building strong, resilient communities,” said Christine Estereicher, FCA Foundation CEO and Director, State Affairs, Civic Engagement & External Affairs, FCA US LLC. “Working in partnership with MCAN and other community organizations, we can significantly impact the educational and career outcomes of this generation of students, as well as the next.”

AdviseMI advisers will increase college applications and financial aid application completions and post-secondary enrollment as leading indicators of increased persistence to, and completion of, high quality certificates and degrees. Over time, these efforts will help MCAN achieve its "Big Goal" -- 60 percent of Michigan’s residents will have a post-secondary degree or credential by the year 2025.

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ABOUT ADVISE MICHIGAN (ADVISEMI)Established in 2015, AdviseMI currently has 56 college advisers placed in 71 high schools in Michigan. The goal of the program is to increase the number of high school students who enter and complete postsecondary education. The advisers are recent college graduates from partner colleges. After an intensive four-week training, advisers help students navigate the complex college exploration process, retake college admissions tests, apply to colleges that are a good match/fit, complete financial aid applications, secure financial aid and matriculate to college.

In June 2018, AdviseMI received the Outstanding National Service Award at the 2018 Governor’s Service Awards ceremony. The Outstanding National Service Award is awarded to programs that make an impact in communities and successfully support their service members.

ABOUT THE FCA FOUNDATIONThe FCA Foundation is the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US LLC, a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. The FCA Foundation invests in U.S. charitable organizations and initiatives that help empower people, build strong, resilient communities and generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts. In support of these objectives, the FCA Foundation focuses on the following foundational pillars: youth development, education, support for military, veterans and their families, and community service.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN’s mission is to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. For the seventh year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased—from 35.7 percent of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 39.4 percent in 2015. Additionally, it is estimated another 4 percent of Michiganders have a high-quality certificate, bringing Michigan’s official attainment rate to 43.7 percent as of 2018. It is MCAN’s goal to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact:Christopher TremblayEmail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Cell:517-816-7774

College Cash Campaign kicks off statewide

Nov. 27, LANSING, MICH. – More than 250 schools across the state are joining the Michigan College Cash Campaign to increase the number of students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarship applications. The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) coordinates with participating schools to encourage support around completing FAFSA and scholarship applications from November through March. The promotion aims to help eligible students find financial aid to pursue education beyond high school.

“Perceived cost is one of the biggest obstacles students encounter on their journey to furthering their education. Applying for financial aid is an important step to helping students navigate the college and financial application process,” said Brandy Johnson, MCAN Executive Director. “Every school participating in this campaign is giving students an advantage.”

The Michigan College Cash Campaign is a part of several statewide initiatives that help students navigate the college-going process during their senior year.

The FAFSA is a free application that is the only way for students to obtain access federal and state financial aid. In addition, many colleges and universities require the FAFSA for institutional and merit-based aid. The FAFSA helps students who may not understand how to locate financial resources. The form determines the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. This is used by the federal government, colleges, and universities to determine eligibility for grants or loans. Filing the FAFSA is considered a leading indicator of whether students will pursue college. The Michigan FAFSA tracker is here.

Hundreds of schools participate to improve each district’s FAFSA completion rate. The average FAFSA completion rate in Michigan for the 2017-18 school year was 64.2 percent (as of June 2018).

New this year, MCAN has teamed up with national scholarship platform provider, Scholly, which offers an award-winning, personalized scholarship matching and application tracking tool. Up to 10,000 Michigan high school seniors will have access through their school's participation in the College Cash Campaign.

“This important movement will better position Michigan’s students and our state to fulfill the talent needs of businesses and prepare for the jobs of the future,” said Johnson.

As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN’s mission is to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. For the seventh year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7 percent of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 39.4 percent in 2015. Additionally, it is estimated another 4 percent of Michiganders have a high-quality certificate, bringing Michigan’s official attainment rate to 43.7 percent as of 2018. It is MCAN’s goal to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Christopher TremblayEmail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Cell:517-816-7774

Nov. 27, LANSING, MICH.—The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) announced today that more than $150,000 in grant funding has been awarded to high schools across the state to improve college enrollment and completion outcomes. The awarded schools received $5,000 to $20,000 grants to focus on creating and sustaining a college-going culture inside schools in an effort to improve postsecondary education outcomes. Since inception in 2015, MCAN has awarded more than $1.5 million through the Reach Higher grant program.

“These schools play an important role in sparking change necessary to increase college readiness, participation, and completion within their community,” said Brandy Johnson, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network.

Grant funding supports innovative, aggressive, reform-minded high schools that plan to implement a bold systems change initiative, utilize local quantitative and qualitative data, and improve metrics around college and career readiness.

Year 4: Reach Higher System Impact Renewal Grant

Grant funding supports the continuation of Year 3 efforts (see above). These high schools continue tosystematize, scale, or sustain their bold systems change initiative project(s) from previous years. High schools were selected based on a competitive grant review process. Schools receiving the Reach Higher grants address five essential elements of a high school strategy aimed at increasing college enrollment, including:

Postsecondary Advisory Council Reach Higher High Schools will bring together a team of stakeholders to set the school’s vision and college access strategy. The PAC will meet regularly to strategically develop and implement the school’s college access programming, collect and analyze data, develop and implement data-driven collaborative action plans.

Linked College Access EventsReach Higher High Schools will host a linked triad of college access events – Michigan College Month, College Cash Campaign and College Decision Day– prioritizing the development of a coordinated, strategic effort to execute targeted interventions throughout an entire year.

School Counseling Self-AssessmentReach Higher High Schools will assess the current effectiveness of its college and career readiness counseling, support and programming from two perspectives: Staffing and Capacity and College-Going Culture and Programs.

Student Outcome Data AnalysisReach Higher High schools will utilize publicly available data sources to collect, disaggregate, and analyze data on key college and career readiness student outcome metrics. Findings will be utilized to develop collaborative action plans.

The list of high schools receiving Reach Higher High School grants this time include

(by geographic region):

Michigan Region

Name of School

Type of Grant

East

Marlette Junior/Senior High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

WAY Academy (Flint)

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Metro Detroit

Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA)

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Hamtramck High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Western International High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Northeast

Inland Lakes High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Northwest

Evart High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Morley Stanwood High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Southeast

Arbor Preparatory High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Camden Frontier High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Hillsdale High School

Year 3: Reach Higher System Impact Grant

Hartland High School

Year 4: Reach Higher System Impact Renewal Grant

Southwest

Lawton High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Three Rivers High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Upper Peninsula

Sault Area Schools

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

West

CA Frost Environmental Science Academy

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Innovation Central High School

Year 1: Reach Higher Grant

Wyoming High School

Year 3: Reach Higher System Impact Grant

Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy (UPrep)

Year 3: Reach Higher System Impact Grant

Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center

Year 4: Reach Higher System Impact Renewal Grant

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ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)

As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN’s mission is to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. For the seventh year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7 percent of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 39.4 percent in 2015. Additionally, it is estimated another 4 percent of Michiganders have a high-quality certificate, bringing Michigan’s official attainment rate to 43.7 percent as of 2018. It is MCAN’s goal to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact:Christopher TremblayEmail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Cell:517-816-7774

Oct. 22, LANSING, MICH. — The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) has teamed up with national scholarship search platform, Scholly. This newly formed partnership supports MCAN’s statewide College Cash Campaign initiative. MCAN’s College Cash Campaign is an initiative for Michigan schools to set a bold completion goal for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and assist students with the completion of other financial aid and scholarship applications between November 1 and March 1.

This arrangement with Scholly is a direct benefit for Michigan’s high school seniors, especially those students seeking scholarships to pay for college. A total of 10,000 Michigan high school seniors will be given access to this tool. High school representatives from nearly 70 Michigan high schools claimed the available slots in just 10 days, an indication of the popularity and need for this service. As of October 19, only several hundred access codes remain available.

Students from participating College Cash Campaign schools will have access to a Michigan microsite and code to download the mobile application or access the tool online for free. More information about the tool is available online at myscholly.com. The mobile version of the app is available in Google Play and the Apple App Store.

“This partnership with Scholly is an incentive for students to apply for scholarships in order to reduce the college affordability barrier, which is the most cited barrier to college enrollment, persistence, and completion,” said Jamie Jacobs, senior director of high school innovation for MCAN.

HOW SCHOLLY WORKS

Scholly is a mobile and web app that connects students to millions of dollars in college scholarship money. Scholly’s scholarship-matching platform connects students and their families with actual scholarship opportunities. The app turns the search process from months into minutes! The user-friendly platform also provides subscribers with Scholly Editor, a tool that uses artificial intelligence technology help students instantly proofread and edit scholarship essays, college admissions essays, and other writing assignments. Students can also manage deadlines, track progress, and ultimately secure the money they need to accomplish their educational goals.

“Scholly’s motto is Opportunity for All,” said Azani Pinkney, chief of staff at Scholly. “We are excited to be partnering with the Michigan College Access Network and their College Cash Campaign to create educational opportunity for students across the state of Michigan and help them find the resources they need to pay for college.”

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ABOUT SCHOLLY

Schollywas created by Christopher Gray, who won $1.3 million in scholarships through hard work, grit, and determination. Realizing how broken and time consuming the search process was, Gray and his team created Schollyto allow students pursuing their higher education to search for scholarship money with ease. Since its inception in 2014, Schollyhas helped 3 million students find over 100 million dollars in scholarships. See the Scholly platform video here and the editor video here.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)

As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN’s mission is to increase Michigan’s college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college going students, and students of color. For the seventh year in a row, Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate has increased — from 35.7 percent of 25-to-64-year-olds possessing at least an associate degree in 2008, to 39.4 percent in 2015. Additionally, it is estimated another 4 percent of Michiganders have a high-quality certificate, bringing Michigan’s official attainment rate to 43.7 percent as of 2018. It is MCAN’s goal to increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contact: Christopher TremblayEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Phone: 517-816-7774